Monthly Archives: April 2018

No matter the sport, the teams must prepare for the upcoming seasons. A well-executed plan could be the difference between making it to the final and being stuck in the last place. The preparation has many steps and one of them is getting new talent. Eventually the star players will retire and give the opportunity to the rookies.

The 2017/2018 season has not been easy for some teams. Those that failed to meet the goals on this season have their eyes on the next one. They will not repeat the same mistakes and are ready to correct the issues.

EDMONTO OILERS

This team is working on a new roster. Young players like Kirill Maksimov joined the organization on an entry level. The three-year contracts are all signed and ready to go. The Canadian player will be 19 next summer, he is prospect that the Oilers do not want to let go.

Maksimov would not be on the ice next fall due to his age and inexperience. The Oilers want to work with him for some time first before giving him the green light. There are many expectations about this young player. Hopefully, he will see some game time in 2019.

OTTAWA SENATORS

The Senators recruited the star defenceman from the University of North Carolina. Christian Wolanin is the now the rookie in the Ottawa based organization. This remarkable young man has been playing for his university since 2015. At that moment, the Senators put their eye on him. Finally, they signed a three-year starting level contract.

This new addition comes in a great moment for the team. The Senators have been strongly criticized recently and the fans are screaming for something new. Some fresh blood could change the whole team.

MONTREAL CANADIENS

One of the most important teams on its division. The Canadiens are going through a rough patch. Every day they are forced to add new players to the injured list. The list grows and the problems for the team. The results are far from optimal and they are stuck in the bottom of the scoreboard.

The fans believe some adjustment is necessary. A clear option would be to bring new players but there has not been much discussion about recruitment. Perhaps the team will announce the changes in the summer but in the meanwhile everything remains the same.

NEW SEASON, NEW ME

If something is not working or is damaged beyond repair, it is time to get a new one. The same happen with the teams. If a roster is underperforming, the best option is to renovate wherever they can.

Some teams would rather keep the same players and keep on building the franchises. This is not a winning strategy and could end up hurting their image. Those teams that refuse to change are risking more than necessary.

It is time to take advantage of the younger players. They are healthy and more than willing to give their all in the ice. This is the attitude the teams play if they want to bring something new to the table.

The 2017/2018 has not been good for the players. Each week, more players make it to the injured list. This list includes the players that cannot get back to the ice for some weeks. The Winnipeg Jets have several players on this list. Most recently they added Dmitry Kulikov. The Russian defenceman will be out for about eight weeks.

A BRIGHT CAREER

Kulikov is only 27 years old but he is a veteran on the NHL. He played for seven seasons with Florida, the team took him for the first time in 2009. After that, he played for the Buffalo Sabres. His performance with the Sabres was not optimal. Kulikov injured his back after he was thrown against an open door. This injury kept him out of the ice for some time, he played only 47 games with the Sabres.

In 2017, despite the negative record with the Sabres, Kulikov was signed by the Winnipeg Jets. As a free agent, the Russian signed a contract for $12.99 million. He was supposed to play for three years with the Canadian team.

OLD WOUND

Kulikov went through a recovery process since his time with the Sabres. Unfortunately, on March 8 he was hurt again. On the game against New Jersey, the Winnipeg Jets took the victory home but the price to pay was high.

The medical team tried to improve Kulikov’s condition with therapy. It was not enough and soon it was announced that the defenceman required surgery to fully recover. After 62 games with the Jets, the Russian player was an important figure on the team.

SAME MISTAKES

The defenceman is not the first Jets’ player to enter the injured list. Other important figures are also out of the ice due to an injury. This kind of problems are common among the NHL players. In many cases, the players and even the staff, ignore the condition of the injuries. They take pain killers and keep playing. Not handling the problems on time will lead to permanent conditions. The players are facing consequences that will stay with them after their careers are over.

Hockey players are not the only with this problem. There has been some controversy around the injuries and how the teams turn a blind eye just to get better results. Kulikov’s injury is an example. A representative from the team said that Kulikov’s situation was a complete surprise for them. Some are wondering how honest the teams are about the condition of the players.

DESPERATE MEASURES

After many years of struggle, the players are finally trying to get something back. The lawsuits against the NFL and the NHL are millionaire affairs. The leagues are facing a difficult situation because of the players they failed to protect in the first place.

The NHL is trying to get ahead of the situation. There is a new figure in the matches, the concussion spotter should determine if after a fight a player is in good enough condition to stay. Better protocols will not erase the regular injuries a player suffers in game but it could prevent permanent consequences.

Every super athlete was a rookie once. These incredible people start their training at a tender age but do not see the fruits of their effort until later on. If they live in North America, the universities will offer scholarships to keep developing their talent. Every year, the most important teams scout these institutions for young talent to bring into the leagues. Most teams have a presence on the lower divisions and the young people play there. Once they are mature enough, the athletes get promoted into the main team.

This is a common practice in sports. The teams, in the different sports, have an academy. These academies recruit athletes since they are children. With this steady flow of athletes, the teams guarantee newer and better talent for every season.

A STAR IN THE MAKING

Christian Wolanin is the new recruit for the Ottawa Senators. The defenceman had been making a career with the University of North Carolina. Ottawa Senators first showed interest in him in 2015. It was not until this year that the player decided to give his professional career a shot.

A representative of the team expressed how excited the organization was about Wolanin’s recruitment. They described him as a talented player with the right offensive skills to succeed as a professional.

THE SECRET WEAPON

If the praises from the recruiters are not enough, Wolanin has the right numbers to back the enthusiasm. Born in Detroit, Michigan, the defenceman started playing for the University of North Dakota in 2015.

Since the beginning, the coach and staff recognized he had enough talent to make a name of himself. Wolanin is currently the top scorer for the University of North Dakota. He has 12 goals and 35 points to his name. His name is now next to James Patrick, the first defenceman to be lead scorer on the team.

A LEGACY

Christian is the first member of his family to play for the Ottowa Senators but he is not the first NHL player. His father, Craig Wolanin played for 13 seasons. The oldest Wolanin played the same role that his son currently plays. He also played for different teams like Toronto, Quebec, New Jersey and others.

Without a doubt, Wolanin is following his father’s footsteps. This promising player finished his team dressing the green uniform with great numbers. 22 goals and 72 points is a remarkable record for a defenceman.

CHANGE OF AIR

The Ottowa Senators are ready to welcome Wolanin. The defenceman will immediately start training with the team. Hopefully he will get to see some action in the ice this season. The 23 year old player is prepared to get into action.

Perhaps new talent is what the Ottowa Senators need. The 17/18 season has been rough for everybody but seems like they are taking the hardest blows. There has been discussion about young talent and how important it is to integrate them into the professional scene. With this recruitment, the Ottowa Senators are taking the first step into the right direction.

Athletes are no strangers to injuries. More often than not a player misses important matches due to a physical condition. These issues usually come after a bad play or movement in game. It is possible to avoid them but sometimes the injuries are inevitable.

Hockey could be considered a violent sport. Despite the protections the players wear, they are exposed to all kind of damage. Ideally, the teams would be able to replace any player that has any affection. Unfortunately, the Montreal Canadiens do not seem to be ready for this situation and it is affecting their results in the NHL.

CAREY PRICE

The franchise goaltender is an icon for the Canadiens fans. He has been with the team for several years and will be wearing the red and blue for some more. The Montreal organization is willing to pay $84 million for this player but for the 2018 season, he missed a total of 14 games.

The goalie had a concussion, the team did not said how this happened. Seems like it took place during the game against the Philadelphia Flyers. Price was replaced by Antti Niemi but this change was not enough to help the Canadiens after a poor performance during the season.

SHEA WEBER

Another tragic loss for the Canadiens, the defenseman had to undergo a foot surgery. As a result, he will miss the rest of the season. Apparently, Weber’s injury happened in the beginning of the season but he kept playing for 20 more games.

In the end, the medical team could not do anything to improve Weber’s condition. He was put on the injured list and finally it was determined he had a long way to go before he could skate again.

A BAD RECORD

No matter the sport, it is not easy to make it to a professional team. However, there is a fine line that separates the starting players from the substitutes. Two or more substitutes immediately reduce the quality of the team and the results showed it. The Montreal Canadiens are a team known for their great performance and good scores. In 2017 and part of 2018 they had been struggling.

Even before he was injured, Carey Price had the worst record of the season and his entire career. Many questions were raised about the goaltender and if he really was worth the millions the team was paying for him.

WILL THEY BE ABLE TO RECOVER?

The players will eventually get better but the damage is already done. For the current season, not even a miracle would help the Canadiens. On their division, they are currently standing in the sixth place.

The organization has their eyes on the future. They are fully aware of the struggles the team is facing at the moment. Changes need to happen for the Canadiens to go back to the top of the scoreboards. This should be a lesson for the rest of the organizations, they need to be able to replace any player at any point.